Justice News

Man Sentenced To 35 Years In Prison For 2010 Killing Of Acquaintance-Defendant Chased And Stabbed Victim After Argument At Gas Station-

WASHINGTON – Richard Williams, 43, was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for the 2010 slaying of an acquaintance along the border of the District of Columbia and Prince George’s County, Md., U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

Williams, who has no fixed address, was found guilty by a jury in December 2013 of second-degree murder while armed following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In addition to the murder charge, Williams was convicted of carrying a dangerous weapon after having been convicted of a felony and committing an offense while on release in a pending criminal case. He was sentenced by the Honorable Robert E. Morin.

According to the government’s evidence, Williams and the victim, Sean West, 37, knew each other and often spent time together at a gas station in Oxon Hill, Md., just over the border from the District of Columbia. On Aug. 27, 2010, at about 11:30 p.m., they got into an argument and shoving match at the gas station. A mutual acquaintance broke up the fight, and Mr. West walked across the street into the 4300 block of Wheeler Road SE, headed home.

Williams, however, proceeded to run after Mr. West. Upon catching up to him, he stabbed Mr. West once in the chest. Mr. West ran back across the street, into Oxon Hill, and collapsed inside a liquor store. He died about two hours later.

Williams fled the scene on foot and was arrested on Oct. 18, 2010. At the time of the murder, the defendant, a previously convicted felon, had a pending misdemeanor case for which he had been released on bond. He has been held without bond since his October 2010 arrest.

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen expressed appreciation for the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also commended those who worked on the case from the Prince George’s County, Md., Police Department and the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Litigation Technology Specialist Josh Ellen, Paralegal Specialist Sandra Lane, Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Liebman, who prosecuted the matter.